Thesis (M.M. (Business Executive Coaching))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits Business School, 2017. / Introduction Public hospitals are complex environments in which healthcare leaders are required to lead effectively in order to provide quality service delivery. The issue is: are clinical managers working in Gauteng hospitals competent to lead? This study measures the competency of clinical managers in public hospitals and considers how coaching can be used to close the competency gap in Gauteng public hospitals. Coaching has been identified as one of the appropriate developmental tools to enhance the skills’ gap of top managers in organisations (West & Milan, 2001). In this study, coaching has been considered to be an appropriate learning and developmental tool to enhance skills for these managers. Methods A self-administered questionnaire was used to conduct the survey among clinical managers in the hospitals in Gauteng. Participants were asked to rate the required management competencies and their proficiency levels against nine management competency categories which include: leadership, communication, life-long learning, consumer responsiveness, political and health environment, conceptual skills, results management, resource management, compliance with standards and coaching in improving management competencies .Likert-scale data was used to measure the top managers’ perceptions of the important competencies required for effective service delivery and their level of proficiency with those competencies. Results Findings show that there is significant gap in management competency of clinical managers, which indicates the need for further development of managers. Most clinical managers’ have a perception that coaching has a role in enhancing their competency gap. Literature supports coaching as a leadership development tool for closing the competency gap of clinical managers. Conclusion There is significant gap in the public health sector managers’ competency level. There is a need for appropriate and further training and development to address the skills gap. There is need to strengthen management capacity to support the strategy of improved and sustainable healthcare service delivery. Coaching is the appropriate leadership developmental and supportive tool to enhance the skills needed by clinic managers. / MT2017

The global population is ageing, and with it has been a growth of mature aged participation in sport. Following this trend, swimming amongst the adult population in South Africa, whether it is for recreation or competitive purposes, has increased. This research reports on the coaching strategies used by one coach who is training Masters swimmers in Johannesburg. It examines whether or not andragogical principles and teaching methods could be applied to an informal swimming coaching context. Qualitative methods were used for data collection, including an interview with the coach, focus group discussions with the swimmers, pool deck observations and video recordings of the training sessions. Results indicated that adult education principles could be applied to an informal swimming coaching context through flexible and accommodating coaching practices, ensuring effective communication between the swimmer and the coach and utilising the community of practice between the swimmers and coaches to ensure effective adult learning.

A research report submitted to the faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management (Business and Executive Coaching) Johannesburg, 2017 / The objective of the study was to explore how a coaching leadership style adopted by Managers in different organisations, influences the relationships they have with their direct reports. The study used the qualitative method and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 participants, comprising 13 Managers and nine Direct Reports in various organisations in private and public sectors based in Gauteng, South Africa. This study contributes to the research and literature available on coaching leadership style and employee coaching, which occurs when an employee works one-on-one with his/her direct manager to improve his/her work performance and other areas that need attention. Executive Coaching has been extensively researched and refers to when an executive in an organisation is being coached by an external coach who is normally chosen by the Executive and paid for by the organisation. In Employee Coaching however, the coaching is conducted by the direct Manager and the employee has no choice in who the Manager is. Relationships between Manager and Direct Report are therefore crucial and these could be influenced by the Manager‟s leadership style. The findings suggest that within a South African context, the term “Coaching Leadership Style” is not a term that is widely used in organisations to describe a leadership style, however this style emerged through the behaviours that the Managers displayed. The findings further posit that coaching plays a pivotal role in influencing relationships between a Manager and his/her Direct Reports and that coaching may also cause shifts in leadership styles. The research provides insight into the leadership styles that Managers prefer to adopt and deepened understanding of how coaching adds value in a leadership context. The results add to the body of knowledge on how coaching affects leadership effectiveness and how it influences relationships between Managers and Direct Reports. / MT2017

Thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management specialising in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Business Administration,University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2018 / Enterprise development (ED) is concerned with helping entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. The business development process is dynamic with rapid technological and environmental change that occurs through the enterprise development life cycle. Business incubation programs play an integral part in the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). They offer support services, both financial and non-financial, of which mentorship is regarded as one of the key aspects of incubation programs. This study looked at SMEs across South Africa, operating in different industries to evaluate the impact of entrepreneurial orientation on SME growth and determine the moderating effect of mentorship on this relationship. The South African government, through its B-BBEE policies, has mandated corporates to implement ED programs as a way of aiding the growth of SMEs. The challenge faced by SMEs within the context of ED is discussed broadly in this study with recommendations put forth in an attempt to assist the successful implementation of ED. Entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is an established construct in entrepreneurship literature and its impact on growth is well researched. The three dimensions of innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking, as a unidimensional composite is used to assess the level of EO exhibited by the sample. This study however, expanded on the EO-Growth relationship to assess the role of mentorship within the context of ED in South Africa. Mentorship forms part of the developmental process of entrepreneurs and is well incorporated into the ED sphere. This study considered the role of the mentors as it relates to opportunity recognition. The study applied a quantitative method to analyse the relationship between the independent variable (EO) and the dependent variable business growth (BG), with mentorship being the moderating variable. The survey questionnaire was electronically distributed, producing a final number of 215 respondents as the empirical research sample. Growth, the dependent variable, was considered as a measure of success for SMEs. The measurement of SME growth focused on sales, assets, profit, annual turn-over and employment growth. The high failure rate of SMEs in SA is a cause of great concern to the government. This study provided empirical research, which further investigated the reasons attributed to government’s concerns. It further argued for certain interventions that can be of value to SMEs, government, ED practitioners, mentors and corporates. A regression analysis and bivariate correlation analysis was adopted to test the hypotheses, confirmatory factor analysis assessed the factorial validity of the constructs. Pearson’s test tested the significance of the correlations, visual tests (histograms) and descriptive statistics (skewness and kurtosis) assessed the normality of variables, before hypothesis testing was carried out, factor analysis determined the empirical analysis to confirm the theory, and to reduce dimensions of variables within constructs. In addition, the overall level of Cronbach reliability (0.68≤α≤0.89), and the corresponding EVA of close to 0.3, showed excellent reliability. The empirical findings of the study revealed that EO had a positive impact on SME growth and that the relationship between EO and growth was moderated by mentorship. As such, this study contributes to the theoretical discourse through its contribution to the existing body of literature. It further adds to literature concerned with the role of mentors in ED, and how this influences the growth of SMEs participating in ED programs. From a practical perspective, it provides recommendations to all stakeholders of ED in South Africa. Finally, this study provides ED practitioners, incubation managers, government policy makers, corporates, mentors, SMEs and entrepreneurs with relevant information to support their strategic planning and the implementation of enterprise development in South Africa. / MT 2018

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Business Executive Coaching Johannesburg, 2017 / “The obligation for working-mothers is a very precise one: the feeling that one ought to work as if one did not have children, while raising one’s children as if one did not have a job.” – Annabel Crabb, Author of The Wife Drought Women play a vital role in organisations, yet world-wide remain under-represented in key leadership positions. South Africa is no different. In addition, research indicates that professional women are ‘opting-out’ of the talent pipeline, further reducing the pool of women available to step in to senior leadership roles. Becoming a mother is life-changing, and when combined with a desire for a fulfilling career, role-conflict can occur. The guilt which accompanies role-conflict can often be overwhelming and may lead to professional women exiting organisations, taking with them valuable industry knowledge and expertise. Hence, retaining female talent is increasingly becoming a business imperative. This study aims to contribute to the field of Business Coaching by researching Maternity ‘Transition’ Coaching in an organisational context. As such, the study explored four research questions aimed at providing a systemic view of the experiences of professional women during the maternity transition period, the line manager’s role during this period, the influence of organisational culture on working-mothers, and the emergence of maternity transition coaching as a support mechanism in organisations. Following a detailed review of the literature, the research methodology of a qualitative, multiple-case study approach was selected. Two organisations (cases) were researched using semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 15 respondents, as the primary sources of data collection. The research was further supported by an analysis of secondary data, both of which allowed for a full investigation of the research questions. The key findings indicated that maternity transition coaching is a strategic necessity for organisations wishing to attract and retain female talent in the 21st Century. Transitional theory along with an understanding of life and career stages are important aspects of this genre of coaching. Coaching increased support at critical transition points, leading to the retention of the professional women in the study along with a more seamless re-integration with their careers. Further, it surfaced that line managers play a critical role in a successful maternity transition, and as such also require support. It was further concluded that a family-friendly organisational culture is an enabler to a successful maternity transition. Maternity transition coaching therefore supports professional women in their desire for a satisfying career and work-life integration. / MT2017

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Business Executive Coaching Johannesburg, 2017 / Since the lifting of the international sanctions and relaxation of capital controls, South Africa has caught up with the rest of the world in terms of globalisation. This has resulted in a number of South African companies opening job opportunities in other markets. Previous research has highlighted the creation of job opportunities in other markets as an indication of the continuous need for expatriates in future. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of executives taking international assignments in South African multinational corporations, and to examine how coaching can support the experience. This study looked at the experiences of expatriates in all three phases of expatriation, that is, (1) to explore the experiences of expatriate executives prior to taking international assignments in South African multinational corporations and understand how coaching can support that experience, (2) to explore the experiences of expatriate executives during the assignment in South African multinational corporations and understand how coaching can support that experience and lastly (3) to explore the repatriation experiences of executives in South African multinational corporations and understand how coaching can support that experience. Qualitative research methodology was chosen to explore the expatriates’ experiences and the world in which they live. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with respondents from three South African multinational corporates (MNCs) in telecommunications, oil and hospitality industries. Out of sixteen respondents, three were Human Resource (HR) managers whose responsibility it is to administer and manage global mobility in the three MNCs. Global mobility includes expatriates’ management. The results of this study have implied that South African MNCs are inconsistent in terms of the way they prepare their expatriates before departure, support expatriates during the international assignments and repatriation. As a result of that, expatriates have also revealed mixed experienced in all three phases of the expatriation journey. For example, during pre-departure, some have experienced a pleasant preparation, such as look-see-visits, medical examinations and CEO on-boarding programmes, whereas others were never prepared (thrown in the deep-end). The misalignment between head office objectives and host country’s objectives came out as the most frustrating experience by the majority of the respondents. In terms of the last phase of the repatriation cycle, the results of this study suggest that a repatriation strategy is ineffective or non-existent in South African MNCs. Expatriates come back and get absorbed by competition as a result of the lack of a repatriation strategy. The glue to the findings of this research implies that coaching does have a critical role to play in all three phases of expatriation, that is, during pre-departure, during the assignment and during repatriation. The key message to South African MNCs is, if they want to use expatriates as their vehicle to succeed in global markets, they must involve former expatriates in crafting their realistic, practical expatriates’ strategy which must be communicated and applied to all expatriates and host companies. / MT2017

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Business and Executive Coaching February, 2017 / The expected economic growth in Africa and, in particular within Nigeria, (Ogunlesi, 2014) opens doors to more global business opportunities. This growth within the African continent also contributes towards the growth of organisational developmental practices such as executive coaching. This is because executive coaching is undoubtedly one of the fastest developmental interventions used by organisations worldwide (Bartlett, 2006). For that reason, it is imperative for organisations within the Nigerian business setting, where most executives are males, to understand possible inhibitors that could affect the formation of a coaching relationship between male executives and coaches from a different gender. Previous research on the impact of gender in a coaching relationship has found that gender plays a role when matching executives with coaches (Gray & Goregaokar, 2010). It has also been found that gender similarity of the coach and the executive increases self-awareness of the executives (Bozer, Joo & Santora, 2015). Boyce, Jackson and Neal (2010) advocate that when there is gender commonality between coaches and executives; rapport and trust are established much quicker. Therefore the main purpose of this research is to understand the role that gender and in particular, how gender stereotypes could affect the coach-matching process between female coaches and male executives in a patriarchal society like Nigeria (Nwosu, 2012). A qualitative approach was implored to uncover trends in thoughts and opinions of the participants. The researcher sought in-depth understanding of the participants and their experiences. A total of 17 (seventeen) participants were interviewed and 13 (thirteen) of those were males and to ensure triangulation, 4 (four) females were interviewed. The interviews were semi-structured and the probing questions allowed for a deeper understanding of the phenomena. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using the conventional content analysis method where each transcript was read from beginning to end and the data was read word for word to determine the initial codes. The research found that coaching is in its infancy or emerging stages in Nigeria and there are male executives who would be uncomfortable working with female coaches. Both positive and negative gender stereotypes against women surfaced in the research as key contributors to the coach-matching process. The motherly nature of women, their general warmness, their meticulousness when approaching issues, their ability to be friendly and open and the fact that women are seen as having less ego are positive gender stereotypes that would encourage male executives to secure the services of female coaches. The findings also points out the gender stereotypes that could inhibit the formation of a coaching relationship and most of these stereotypes are found to be perpetuated by the applicable religion, tradition and customs within Nigeria. / MT2017

How can coaching services encourage user engagement? The objective of this thesis has been to conduct research with a service design approach of what changes can be made to a service to further engage and motivate users. The already existing service provided by Scania called Driver Coaching is used as a case study. The thesis contributes to research by exploring how coaching services can implement gamification aspects in its customer journey. Using said case study as an example, user studies were conducted and resulted in an extensive list of insights and user needs. A gamification framework called Octalysis was used to locate what aspects of the service that could be changed in order to increase user motivation. The user needs and the lacking core drives in the current Octalysis were connected during the ideation phase. Connecting the gamification theory with the service design case study, a design proposal took form. In this case study, the design proposal is a modular concept with five different components that can be implemented in the service on their own or all together. Even though this design proposal is specific to the case study, the process of using the gamification theory and methods could be applied to other cases.

Thesis advisor: Marilyn Cochran-Smith / The clinical experience of future urban teachers is increasingly regarded as one of the most important aspects of teacher preparation (NCATE, 2010; NRC, 2010). However, there is widespread agreement that further knowledge must be acquired on what constitutes rich clinical experience, and on the influence of such learning opportunities especially in urban, high-needs contexts (Anderson & Stillman, 2013; Levine, 2006; Picus, Monk, & Knight, 2012). This dissertation aims to increase our understanding of clinical experience. Based on sociocultural and socio-constructivist perspectives, and drawing on Lave and Wenger’s (1991) theories of learning within communities of practice, this dissertation employed qualitative research methods to examine the phenomenon of content coaching during an urban teacher residency program. This dissertation argues that residency content coaching provided a context within which residents could integrate what they were learning about “ambitious teaching” (Lampert & Graziani, 2009; Newmann & Wehlage, 1993) into their own practice through ongoing negotiations with their coaches. Coaching interactions were by and large responsive to individual resident’s learning needs, and guided residents to begin to place their students’ learning at the center of decision-making when planning, teaching, and assessing. The dissertation further investigates the actual and aspirational characteristics of coaching in this context. Overall findings suggest that content coaching addresses several persistent problems of traditional pre-service fieldwork supervision (Darling-Hammond, 2010; Featherstone, 2007), and offers a more coherent approach. Consequently, this dissertation contributes to our collective understanding of clinical experience in preparing teachers to teach ambitiously in urban classrooms. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

The purpose of this programme of research was to investigate the existence and development of shared understanding between football dyads through quantitative and qualitative research methods. Research has considered the importance of shared understanding between team members (Williamson and Cox 2014, Gershgoren et al. 2016) but rarely dyads within teams (i.e. Blickensderfer et al. 2010). Study One attempted to establish the existence of shared understanding between twenty football dyads. Study Two explored the levels of shared understanding displayed by forty-five defensive football dyads in game situations that had either a clear correct course of action or when there was no clear correct course of action. Through an interview-based approach, Study Three investigated potential factors that could contribute to the development of shared understanding between football dyads, based on the suggestions of twelve football players. Through these different methods, the three studies have provided evidence to support the existence and development of shared understanding between football dyads. The main findings of the thesis (a) shared understanding exists between dyads who have experience performing together, (b) when dyads are in a situation where there is a clear and correct option available, they are more likely to choose the same option based on their own individual experience, (c) when dyads are in a situation where there is no clear and correct option available, they are more likely to pick the same option based on their experience performing together, (d) experience performing together, having an efficient relationship with their partner, effective communication methods between one another and the role of the coach facilitated the development of shared understanding between dyads and (e) these factors facilitate an effective shared mental model between dyads.